The erstwhile kingdom of Manipur with 2000 years of unique history and tradition, known to the rest of the country as the Jewel of India finally deserve the title with the coming of the country’s look east policy and now converted into Act East Policy by Narenda Modi. The border state has now been boon with the Trans Asia High way which will connect the nation’s capital with the rest of the South East Asian Countries. The nation’s vision to get in touch with the South East Asian Countries under such initiative has added the real meaning of the term ‘Jewel of India’ at which the first Prime Minister of the country Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru slipped from his tongue when he first landed on the soil. The opening of the new policy on the other hand stands as a big challenge to the people of the state. Many multinational companies of the world will target the soil for setting up of their companies and trade centers as the state will possess tremendous potentials for development in the field. It may be simply the east meet west zone but the impact is horrible unless the state prepares to face all challenges.
Even though Manipur stood in third in term of literacy rate people of the state don’t seem to have understood well about the probable impact which might come as a result of the India’s look east policy. This perhaps is due to lack of proper awareness from the side of the state government or some sort of interference to hinder the developmental process which is in midway. For decades the people of the state inhabiting at both side of the National High Way has been utilizing the high way for their immediate desires and goal. Bandh, Blockade and picketing has been a common phenomenon undergoing in the two high ways. Local people instead of looking ahead of development of the road condition have been creating hindrance to the developmental works at the influence of few vested interested persons.
Since time immemorial, transportation stood as the main factor for success of the trade and commercial purposes. The state government has been taking up various projects and scheme under its department of commerce and industries. The already existed free trade between the Country the neighboring country Myanmar has already boosted the economy of the state. Even though minor problems of misunderstanding or perhaps put halt to the existing trade.
The main result for the failure and the probabilities of putting into the pool of miseries on the arrival of India’s Look East Policy now Act East Policy is or will be the lack of proper awareness of the developmental works. The various schemes of the Industries department being taken up at many district head quarters especially the Moreh (the Indian Border Town which connect the neighbouring country Myanmar) need to be highlighted to the people for mass awareness. Transparency is the only means to create awareness and for that a documentary based on the developmental works of the Government department in relation to the development of Commerce and Industries is believed to be the need of the hour.
